The Last Warrior
This is written by Bloody. It is the first book in The Last Hope Series, the next book is Sign Of The Moon. This story is rated Teen Praise Leave your praise here please! :) Prologue I didn't know if the rain would ever stop, but I guess I didn't want it to. It was keeping me safe, making it so my brother couldn't send me away, so he couldn't banish me. Well, not without losing the trust of his Clan. Sparkstar, or as I called him Spark, stood behind, and to the left of me, keeping guard. He doesn't trust me. It hit me then, and it hurt. My own brother, the one I had almost died protecting, now hated me. I had saved him, put my life on the line, and now he was banishing me. Mother had always told us that family was the only important thing, but I guess Spark didn't remember that, after all, he had been a kit when she was killed. I glanced around, spotting my mate and kits. The kits looked scared, and my mate, well... I glanced away. They had to be strong, or they wouldn't last long here. It was my home, our home, but now that Spark was leader, it was a lot more colder of a place. "Crushclaw yo-" Spark started. "You know my name is Crush, Spark." I interrupted him. He'd probably get mad, but, that wouldn't be new. "I am Spark''star'' to you." He growled. Yep, I was right, "Now then, why did you do it Crushclaw? Why did you kill Pebblepaw?" "You know I didn't kill him." I growled, "I loved him like brother, I loved him like I love you." Spark's eyes shone, Mouse-dung! I let him get to me! "Is it hard? Loving those you don't love you back?" "What are you saying?" I slid my claws out, digging into the damp mountain soil. After all I had done for him, I couldn't believe he was saying this. "I don't love you, and as far as I care, you died with Mama." The rain stopped, "I looks like StarClan is calling you." Chapter 1 - Apprentice "Darkcry, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Snakefoot, and you have shown yourself to be brave and loyal. You will be the mentor of Shadowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Shadowpaw." Pinestar mewed. I turned to my new mentor. His name was Darkcry, he was a tall, muscular, black tom, with bright blue eyes. He was a new warrior, barely over a moon and a half of warrior-hood, but, after helping to defeat MountainClan on one of their constant attacks, he was the talk of the Clans. I supposed that I should have been honored, but I couldn't have given a mouse-tail. I stepped forward, bowing so that our heads were side by side. "I pledge to train you well Shadowpaw, I will teach you to be a brave and loyal member of DawnClan." "And I pledge to learn well from you Darkcry, and to become a brave and loyal member of DawnClan." I mewed, completing my Clan's lengthly apprentice ceremony. Rockpaw and Eaglepaw, my brothers, came scampering over to me. "Shadowpaw, Goldpelt is going to take me out to see the territory!" Eaglepaw meowed, jumpy up and down with excitement. "And Echostone is taking me with them!" Rockpaw added, "Ask Darkcry if you can come with us. They were always annoying, but now it was tenfold. "I don't know..." I trailed off, "Knowing Darkcry, I'll have to go learn to hunt, or go training. MountainClan is going to be attacking us again soon." "Yes." A deep voice meowed behind me, "Shadowpaw is right. MountainClan will attack us again very soon. If I were deputy, I'd make your mentors train you, but as I am not.. well, I can't." It was Darkcry. He sure could scare the fur off of a cat. "Please Darkcry!" Eaglepaw and Rockpaw pleaded. "Oh come on Darkcry," Echostone meowed, flicking Darkcry's shoulder with her tail, "It won't kill you to take Shadowpaw around the territory." "Actually, I don-" I was cut off by Darkcry. "No, it won't kill me, because I can fight, but it might kill Shadowpaw." He growled, "You're all just too weak to understand!" He turned around, and started stalking off to the training area, "Come on Shadowpaw!" He called over his shoulder. Great, now he's mad at me. ''I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Thanks guys." I mewed sarcastically, and followed my mentor. Chapter 2 - Training "Try again!" Darkcry yowled. He was pushing me to my limits, and now, going out with my brothers didn't seem so bad. I tired to claw him, he wanted me to use my claws, his exact words were "MountainClan isn't going to play nice, they won't hesitate to kill you." The thought of facing a MountainClan apprentice scared me, they were so much bigger and stronger that us. "Come on Shadowpaw! I know you can do better!" He growled. "I knew your father, he was a better warrior that I was, I know you can be better that I am, now show me!" I dashed forward, then dodged his paw-swipe, and rushed forward, clawing his flank. "Good job!" He mewed happily, then winced, blood quickly soaking his pelt, "Maybe a little to good." "Are you alright? I'm so sorry!" I ran up to him, inspecting the wound, "We should take you to Mousefur, he'll know what to do." "I'll be fine." He mewed. ''You stupid fur-ball, quit trying to be tough! ''I thought to myself, but was too scared to say out loud. "You did a good job." He glanced around, "Go get yourself some prey, while I try to find some cobwebs and some dock." "Are you sure you don't need any help?" I asked him, "I can wait for some prey, I'm not really hungry anyway." "No," Darkcry meowed, still looking around, "You go on ahead." He flick his tail dismissively. "Alright." I mewed, and headed back to camp. It didn't take very long, no more that few blood-beats. I arrived, near the fresh-kill pile. I picked up two voles, starving. I didn't like lying to Darkcry, he was actually pretty cool, but he had been acting really strange. As I sat down to eat my huge helping of prey, Eaglepaw and Rockpaw came bouncing up to me. "Hey Shadowpaw!" Rockpaw mewed, "How was training?" "Was Darkcry tough on you?" Eaglepaw meowed. "It was pretty fun, but Darkcry was pretty tough, I actually landed a blow on him!" I mewed excitedly, "He's not as bad as he seems," I added. "Ohhh," Eaglepaw mewed, "Darkcry and Shadowpaw jumping through the trees, m-a-t-e-i-n-g" He chanted. "Oh, be quite!" Rockpaw pushed him with one of his paws. He had always been able to balance on three paws. "You landed a blow on Darkcry?" Echostone asked, padding up, "That ''is impressive!" "Thanks!" I yawned, "I think I'm going to go to my new nest." I got up, and went to my nest, and quickly fell asleep. Chapter 3 - Crushclaw I watched as Shadowpaw padded back to camp. She had done a good job, but she still hadn't hurt me. I had learned to cover up my powers well, after all these seasons, but now it would be even harder with an apprentice. After I had won the battle against MountainClan, I thought my secret would be blown, but, thank StarClan, I was just hailed as a hero. I closed my eyes, and concentrated. I soon felt the warmth in my stomach spread out, quickly filling up my body. It felt as though there were ants in my pelt, and soon, what little pain I could actually feel, the blood, and the scratches from Shadowpaw's attack were gone. I hoped that Shadowpaw was like her father and I, gifted. There were only a pawful of us in all three Clans. I only knew of six, not counting myself, and one was dead, Shadowpaw's father. There was Crushclaw, Icestar, Mistyrock, Windfish, and Sparkstar. We used to meet every full moon, until Sparkstar tried to turn us from our Clans. He wanted us to take over our respective Clans, and join as one, and rule together, only, he would rule all of us gifted cats, the fox-heart. "Darkcry." A voice behind me called, Crushclaw. "We need to talk... a lot has changed since the last Full-moon meeting." His deep mewed scared a near by mouse. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare off you're prey." "It's fine." I meowed dismissively, "What do you need to talk about?" I asked him, "Is it about Sparkstar?" "No, Spark is still the fox-heart he's always been, though one of the things I need to discuss with you does concern MountainClan." He paused, taking a breath, "First off, is Shadowpaw gifted?" "I don't know... I don't get the same sense from her as I do from the rest of us.. but she did mange to claw me, and I could feel it." I added significantly. "I.. I hope she is though. He father's gift was very useful... We could use it again." Crushclaw stood there, in thought for a moment. "I agree." He glanced around, "Lava and Magma are gifted." He whispered, "Lava can summon fissures in the earth, and Magma can cause anything to catch fire with a mear thought." He looked slightly scared, something which was more of a shock that Shadowpaw's landing a blow on me. "Both of them? Does Sparkstar know? What about Smoketail? You told her about your gift, right? Would she know that her own kits where gifted?" I asked him. Things has suddenly became a lot more serious in the Clans. "I have no idea if Spark knows, but Smoketail is the one who told me. She told me to take them, and run, bring them here... but, if I do, Spark will kill her, and.. I may have left her behind, though not by choice, but I still love her." "I understand." I meowed. "I'll talk to Pinestar, he's always known about our gifts, and I'll see what I can do." I trailed off in thought. "Is there anything else?" "Yes," Crushclaw meowed, "Windfish has informed me that his apprentice, Salmonpaw, is gifted." "Hrmm, Windfish being his mentor is a gift from StarClan... Does Icestar know? She always supported Sparkstar." "No." "Alright." I meowed. "I need to go. I shall talk to Pinestar tonight, and he, Shadowpaw, and I will meet with you at Sky Rock Moonhigh tomorrow." "I will see you then my friend." I watched as Crushclaw stalked off, headed to do only StarClan knew what. Chapter 4 - A Meeting With Icestar I glanced around, wondering where I was. "Salmonpaw!" Someone hissed from severel tail-lengths away. I shook my head, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "Salmonpaw, come here! Icestar needs to speak with you." The voice meowed again. It was my mentor, Windfish, and I was in the Apprentice Den, in my nest. I had just woken up. "I'm coming." I mewed back quitely. I stood up, making sure not to wake any of the other Apprentices. When I was out in the main clearing, I walked over to my mentor, "What does Icestar want?" I asked him. "Only StarClan knows, but remember, if she asks about your powers, you have no idea what she's talking about, go it?" Windfish asked, about as serious as a badger attack. "Yes," I reply simply. We padded over to Icestar's den, a small burrow near a dark-colored rock. "Icestar," Windfish called in, "Salmonpaw and I are here for our meeting." We waited several blood-beats for a reply, "I'm coming." Icestar meowed. She padded out, her white pelt glittering the early morning sunlight. Her ice-blue eyes glaring at Windfish, "You are dismissed, I only need to speak to Salmonpaw." Her tone was as cool as her namesake. "Yes ma'am," Windfish dipped his head, and walked away. I felt very vulnarable with him around, but I bravely turned to face my leader. She gazed down at me coldly. "Come for a walk with me, there is a lot I need to talk to you about." She started walking towards the camp entrance, not waiting for my reply. Not that she needed to, as her word was law. We walked for a long time, nearing the border with MountianClan. "Where are we going?" I asked her, my paws were starting to hurt. I had never walked this far before in my life. "Never you mind," She mewed curtly, "And be quiet, you're scaring of the prey." She glanced at me, eyes hard. Well there's no need to bite my tail off, fox-heart! ''I thought to myself. We walked well past Sunhigh, though still in OceanClan territory, and didn't take one break. When we finally stop, in a small glade filled with flowers, my paws felt like they were going to fall off. "You wait here," She mewed, still in a foul mood, "I'll see if he's here yet." She started to pad off. "Who is "he"?" I asked her. She turned back, malice in her eyes, "My mate, Sparkstar." Chapter 5 - Magma And Lava "Smoketail, are you there?" I asked, peeking out from behind my hiding place, a large boulder. I thought that maybe Spark could have followed them, but then I remembered that he would have his moonly meeting with Icestar today, and would never miss a chance to see her, so I stopped worrying. That was about three sun-movements ago, and now I was very scared. "Magma? Lava?" Smoketail?" I called. There was still no response. I closed my eyes, trying to see if I could hear anything, any signal of their approach. When I heard nothing, I decided to go looking for them. I stepped out form behind my hiding spot, not seeing any MountianClan cats, ''So far, so good, ''I thought to myself. I continued along the tiny mountain ledge, making sure not to step to close to the edge. I journeyed for another sun-movement, before I found them. Smoketail lay on her side, claw marks making her bleed, "Smoketail!" I called, and ran towards them. "They... They just attacked her." Magma meowed softly, "She couldn't defend herself, or wouldn't, since they were her Clan-mates, her friends, her ''family." He growled on the last word. I had thought him well, family protected family, "And Sparkstar led them." He slid out his claws, tearing at the mountain ground. "Calm down," I told him, "We can still save her." I meowed, seeing her faint breathing. "Magma, Lava, go find dock... and.. and cobwebs." I told them. As they ran off, I bent down, "Down worry, my sweet," I mewed softly, "You'll be alright, we'll save you. You all can come with me, and we can live has rouges, or go to join DawnClan." I told her. "N..No," Her reply was faint, like her breathing, "Go, leave me. Take Magmapaw and Lavapaw. Go to Darkcry, he'll help you. Go while you can, and don't worry about me, I'll watch over you all from StarClan." "But-" "Go." She mewed harshly, "If you ever have loved me, leave as soon as the kits get back." She glance around, "Tell them I love them." "Yes my sweet." I meowed softly. "I'll miss you," I turned away, to head after the kits, "I love you." I whispered while I walked away, and didn't, couldn't look back. Chapter 6 - Salmonpaw's Choice "Sparkstar is your mate?" I whispered in horror, "But he's from MountianClan." I was shocked to say the least. It wouldn't have been as bad if she weren't the leader of OceanClan, but... But this was just unthinkable. "Yes," Icestar meowed, not looking very interested, "Our kind must stick together, otherwise our kits' might not be gifted." She looked at me at the last word, "And you know all about being gifted, now don't you?" Her eyes shone evilly at me. "What do you mean by gifted?" I asked, faking ignorance, "I mean, I can hunt, fight, and swim well, but I'm basically a normal cat." I looked her in the eye. My blood pounded in my ears, and, if Icestar's gift was super hearing, then I would surely get caught. And I didn't even want to think about what she would do to me then. "You know what I mean, you're like Sparkstar, Windfish, and I. You have powers." She glance behind her, seeing Sparkstar, "I can freeze things, your Mentor can can control birds, thought I don't see how that's useful, and Sparkstar... well, Sparkstar is the most powerful of as all, now that Deathgaze is dead." "Yes," Sparkstar meowed, looking at me. He gave me the creeps, "So what can you do Salmonpaw? I know you're gifted, I can sense it in you, so there's no sense in lying." "I, uh- I can-" "Does it matter?" Icestar asked, "That's not what we came here for, now go on Sparkstar." "Alright," Sparkstar dipped his head at his mate, then turning to me, "We want to rule all three Clans, but we need cats to help us, cats who are gifted, like you." He sighed, "Now that Deathgaze is gone, we can finally succeed." "Windfish told me that we shouldn't take over the Clans, and that just because we're gifted, that doesn't make us any different that the other cats." I mewed. I was looking Sparkstar in the eye. "Windfish has always subscribed to Deathgaze's view. But they are, or in Deathgaze's case, were, wrong." Icestar meowed. "So which is, are you with us, or against us?" Sparkstar asked me, sliding out his claws. Chapter 7 - Clanmates I watched, as Darkcry lead Crushclaw, Magmapaw, and Lavapaw into the camp. What is Darkcry doing with MountianClan cats? I wondered. I went to get up, and pad over to him, but Darkcry shook his head. Welp, I thought to myself, Guess I'm staying put. "What is this?" Pinestar asked Darkcry, "Why have you brought two MountianClan Apprentices and their Rogue father to our camp?" Pinestar's neck fur was slightly bristled. I glanced around, seeing many members of the Clan peeking out from their dens. I got up, and stalked over to stand by Darkcry. I knew that whatever he was doing with these cats, that it must be important, and that he would never betray his Clan. He glanced at me, pride shining in his eyes, "Pinestar," He began, "Crushclaw is like me, he's... he's a great fighter," I look at Darkcry, but he doesn't return the gesture. "A great fighter? That sounds so... odd. "And so are his kits. Please let them join DawnClan, they have sought me out, and wish to seek asylum here." Pinestar watched Darkcry for a few blood-beats, "I'll let them stay here, but should they cause any trouble, you will be the one to blame." Darkcry dipped his head, "Thank you." He meowed. As the Clan went back to their usual business, Pinestar meowed to us, "Come with me, we need to talk." Pinestar looked at me, "You should stay here." "No," Darkcry meowed, "It's time she knew." He looked me in the eyes, "There is so much for me to tell you, and I'm sorry that I've hid it from you Shadowpaw, but-" "Hold on." Pinestar mewed, "Not here, not in the middle of the Camp. Let's all go to my den." Chapter 8 - Training Coming soon Chapter 9 - Windfish Saves The Day Coming soon Chapter 10 - A Death Coming soon Chapter 11 - DawnClan Growing Coming soon Chapter 12 - What's In A Name? Coming soon Chapter 13 - Heated Coming soon Chapter 14 - Home Again Coming soon Chapter 15 - Loneliness Coming soon Category:Fanfictions Category:Bloodstar18's Pages